by Vera Klein
Ask the average person what to watch for in following a Kosher diet, and they will immediately name the obvious 'culprits:' Pork and bacon, non kosher meats, and fish without fins or scales, such as lobster, clams or shrimp.
The discriminating Kosher consumer will caution you to carefully check ingredients for any derivatives of the above, and advise you to buy processed foods only with a reliable Kosher certification.
But fresh fruits and vegetables, they will tell you without hesitation, present no problem at all, and need no Kosher supervision. Right? Wrong!
As 'innocent' as fresh vegetables may seem to be, some of them are literally crawling with anti- Kosher violations. The reference here is to insect infestation, as insects are forbidden to be ingested by Jews, according to the Torah Kosher laws (Leviticus 11: 41), and codified in the "Hilchos Tolaim" section of the Jewish Code of Law. Swallowing a tiny insect may not seem as outrageously shocking as eating ham, but, in fact, the violation is actually even more severe!
According to the Talmudic interpretation (Makkos 16b), ingesting just one small insect can involve as many as six different violations!
What makes matters worse is that these non-kosher culprits are hardly noticeable, so people are not on their guard to watch out for them. Some of the more common problems occur on the leaves of lettuce, especially Romaine lettuce, artichokes, broccoli and cauliflower. The green aphids etc. are very, very small, and they are camouflaged and blend very easily into the green background.
This problem has been further aggravated by the fact, that due to various environmental changes, as well as insecticide restrictions over the last few years, there has been a dramatic increase in vegetable insect infestation. This situation creates a serious challenge for the Kosher consumer who will always check their Kosher Labels, yet do not realize that non-kosher items are on their menu, and may be lurking right under their nose in the vegetable salad.
Proper Vegetable Cleansing & Inspection
Kof -K is the Kosher supervising agency that has taken leadership in this regard, and is the most rigorous in establishing strict standards. Kof -K and its rabbinic affiliate, the Vaad Machzikei Kashrus, have launched a nationwide project of upgrading standards to ensure insect-free products, investing much time and effort to achieve this goal.
Rabbi Yosef Abecasis, a highly respected Torah scholar and specialist in this field, serves as the Food Service Coordinator to oversee food service establishments and to insure proper adherence to these exacting standards. All this is done in consultation with world renowned Rabbis who specialize in this important field of Kashruth. After much research, Rabbi Abecasis and his staff have verified which vegetables can be properly cleaned and prepared in a restaurant kitchen, and the correct manner in which it must be done.
Each leaf of Romaine lettuce leave must be thoroughly washed, rinsed and carefully inspected to insure that there are no insects. Those types of vegetables that cannot be rendered insect-free in a restaurant, are purchased exclusively from "Bodek Kosher Produce," the leader in Kosher, insect-free vegetable production. Any vegetables that cannot meet these halachic requirements are not used in any of the food service establishments certified by Kof-K supervision.
These restrictions may entail inconveniences to the restaurants and their patrons. However, this is a small price to pay for a Kosher issue of this magnitude.
The consumer concerned with maintaining high Kosher food standards, can share in this most important Kashruth endeavor by patronizing those restaurants that have agreed to assume the additional effort needed to properly adhere to these strict rules and standards.
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